I’ve gotten this question a couple of times recently so I’m going to explain myself quickly.
Privacy – They track you across the internet. They collect, store, and share information about you, your friends, and your family REGARDLESS of your privacy settings.
Creeps – So many creeps trying to peer into you and yours lives.
Politics, Sex, Religion – Social media is full of ill-informed, small-minded, self-righteous morons pontificating about everything.
Mental Health – Most people on Facebook only share positive things in their lives. Often even that is a lie. That leads others to feel as though their own lives are missing something and leads to depression. Then you get into bullying, shaming, and other forms of harassment.
Look, I know many of you find some use in Facebook. I know it can be hard not being on it. You lose touch with friends. You don’t get included in stuff. I get it. But I ask myself, “Are they really friends if they need Facebook to communicate with me?”. “Is the problem really mine or theirs?” I miss some folks very much and at times it makes me sad. But for me, the cost of being on Facebook is just way to high.
Further reading:
Wikipedia – Criticism of Facebook
#DeleteFacebook
Not on Facebook myself and totally agree with you
Great minds…
I think you sum it up well. I’m so old, I still have to write an old-fashioned letter (or now mostly call on the phone) old friends and relatives who don’t even have a computer. But my email list has shrunk because so many have switched to things like Facebook (and I might miss some of them) but not so much (although I’ve thought about it from time to time) that I’ve ever even tried Facebook.
I did try Twitter once, but found it too overwhelming to deal with.
I do believe, however, that the Internet is our hope for the future… if civilized human life on earth is to (even have a chance) to survive. The odds aren’t against us yet…hopefully, but the war lords and money mongers will always be against freedom, liberty, and justice for all (except themselves).
You strike me as being one of the “good guys,” Eric. Thank you. Please keep up the good work!
Thanks!
That Z man gives me the creepy willies. Something just isn’t right with him. You can give up your right of privacy to the government or Mark, i prefer to go down swinging.
I do a fair bit of family history and , unfortunately, some sites require a Facebook account to access some historical photos. I’ve found some excellent sites (namely Australian Indigenous sites) that have provided photos I’ve never seen before of Aboriginals from my home town. Granted I use a “fake” account but at least that gets me to view these wonderful resources that i would have missed out on. The key here is to be selective of the sites that one visits…
Right on! 100% agree with you about Facebook … and it has participated in providing data that aids in skewing the results of the American elections. Privacy concerns and concerns about tracking individual’s Internet activities aren’t just limited to Facebook. I believe LinkedIn is another frightening organization that vacuums up endless amounts of data on those who use it’s site and provide detailed information related to their employers, credentials and careers.
That is what I hear about LinkedIn. Not on it and never have been so I really don’t understand the appeal. Years ago I walked out of an interview when I felt the questions were, shall we say, “unprofessional”.